Every week, Josh Rushinock and Paul McIntyre sit down with a combination of the week's comic releases, and one classic comic run, and attempt to sift the good from the bad. Effectively sifting through the trash to find the best work of the week, and the greatest runs of all time, every Friday these two writers come together to share their impressions on the comic book industry they both so thoroughly love.

Welcome to this week's edition of Sifting Through The Racks!

Reviews for the week of 3/9/16

I'm only just now realizing that with this cover, the reason I've had problems with this series is that it's not quite my demographic. But hey, at least something familiar is here... an ad for Batman vs Superman!

Starfire #10

Starfire has been somewhat of a frustrating series thus far. It's incredibly hard to follow and understand because it puts so little emphasis on Starfire's history and therefore makes it difficult to track if she's the same Starfire she was before the New 52 or if she's in the infancy of her character or some odd amalgamation of the two, and that makes it hard to track her evolution as a character.

At times, she seems so unaware of Earth customs that you'd have no choice but to guess that she's only just freshly arrived on the planet, and there's plenty of evidence of that being the case, but whenever she runs across someone like, say, Nightwing, their history seems to be there and alive, making those moments of Earthly innocence seem like oddities, or, worse yet, pure stupidity.

Last issue really was permeated with those problems by showing Starfire at her most unaware and terrible, and rushed art direction only served to make that case worse. This week, we enter the largest action sequence the series has seen thus far, with Stella, Atlee, and Kori entering Atlee's subterranean home of Strata, and Kori losing consciousness, and that very well may hide some of the character issues within. Chances are, however, things are only about to get more complicated.

As the issue opens, Stella attempts to aid Kori in getting her some medical attention as Neala-Tok and his armies invade and kill without quarter. The Stratan people, however, are too peaceful to take up the defense, leaving it all to the defenders of the city... who are all out of town, save Atlee. As Atlee demands death on her former attempted betrothed in Neala-Tok, word comes back that Starfire's unconscious state was a result of being overcharged by the core of the Earth.

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Sol and his 'friend' find their inhibitions taken away by Starfire's new pet, and a kiss is shared, one that Sol immediately denies and ignores due to his relationship with Kori. As Stella joins the defense down below, Starfire awakes and joins the battle, and, upon seeing the slaughter, she uses her power to decimate the opposing army before once again falling unconscious. While the Stratan people mourn their dead, it's announced that Kori might be out for quite a while... but somehow, she awakens despite it all to see the ending of the ceremony.

I liked this story... up until about the half-way point. The larger battle seemed to offer more in the way of character development than any conversation this series has had up to this point, and the art seemed to find a balance that made it seem to work after last week's disaster. With the exception of the unneeded drama topside with Sol, it was a good issue... but it was just a bit too long and overstayed it's welcome. It could have easily gracefully bowed out with Starfire destroying the armies and made the last five pages a new issue, but instead they opted to slam it all into one issue, and that harmed the product. Having Starfire come back from not one, but two comas in a matter of a couple of hours that should have had her knocked out for quite a while (one of which was mentioned to likely have her our for THIRTY-TWO YEARS), then decimate an entire army felt very Mary-Sueish, and that's coming from someone who absolutely loves Starfire.

In the end, there's just a little too much to this issue to make me properly enjoy it. So much was just stuffed into it that made it hard to follow logically, although I will say it was still the best issue we've had from the series in a while... which, unfortunately, isn't saying much.

Rating: Wait for the Trade

Who the hell would pick up a Batman comic and not know there's a movie starring Batman coming out? Seriously?

Batman & Robin: Eternal #23

We've been talking about this book for six straight weeks of reviewing now, and how it's been something of a favorite of mine gone bad. At this point, I've run out of things to say. I could always praise the series up to a point, but then I'd feel bad because such a chunk of the last couple issues have been hard to follow and just plain a mess. I could talk specifically about where the series has gone wrong, but I've said that a couple dozen times before. It's extending out past where the natural closure point should have been, it's been rushed out the door because of it, and the lack of the Batman angle has made it suffer.

Really, what it comes down to this week is if they manage to make what they have going work or not. If there's an honest and fair shake to be had, this series can turn itself around, but all of that is up in the air for now.

Following Harper's last messages before being caught, Tim Drake drops in on Spoiler and Harper's brother in order to bring Spoiler into the ensuing war caused by Mother hacking the satellites and beginning to turn her children around the world to her will, creating mass panic and revolts. Spoiler agrees to keep an eye on the good Doctor Scarecrow, and Harper's younger brother is allowed to come along because of his delinquent background and how that might help at home base, and because he doesn't want to be alone. As the entire team of Robins brings the entire Bat family web together, Dick Grayson prepares to take the fight directly to Mother, who's found to be in the Artic, but the location can only roughly be estimated and he's going in alone because the team is so overwhelmed. As Scarecrow attempts and fails to turn Spoiler to his side, Red Hood captures and convinces the former associate of Mother to assist, as the final legs of the operation begins.

I'll admit I had an problem with this issue going in because it seemed to take a huge plot point, that teenagers are affected by the satellites as well, and just dump it instead opting to focus on it only affecting young children. That was an incredibly careless plot hole that could have easily been avoided by having Spoiler and Harper's brother stay indoors while Gotham fell.

With that being said, however, the character work for Spoiler in this issue was enough to save it for me. Spoiler hasn't been treated with much respect since the onset of the New 52, but here she seems to create some of the character that's been missing by showing how being raised on Gotham and being associated with the Bat Family has allowed her to work within her fear and keep on fighting while also becoming a hard person to break. It's for this, and some of the clever dialogue between Grayson and Midnighter throughout, that brings this up from skippable to worth owning the trade for. Rating: Wait for the Trade

This cover having to share space with any ad banner at all is a cardinal sin.

Constantine: The Hellblazer #10

I love the writing team behind this series. For as much flack as I give the creative direction of DC these days, it's a wonder that John Constantine hasn't been in any way mucked or meddled with since the change, and I'd dare say that his books have been the most consistent quality that the entire company has had in the last six years. There's something about the art team that's so utterly appealing, and it's combined with truly terrific writing and witty dialogue and a genuine sense of concern for John's soul that never loses any of its emphasis.

Last issue, we left off with Constantine's deal with Blythe going south, and south quickly, after the demon and sometimes consort broke him and Papa out of hell. After being stabbed in the back, Constantine found himself alone and afraid in a disturbing new world that turned out to be the home of the Faeries... but unlike what humans tend to think of the small winged sentient creatures, Constantine knows that they're a truly different, wicked kind of evil, obsessed with anything that might bring strong emotion, and especially pleasure, in life and portrayed as cult-like partiers bathed in sin.

Constantine finds himself captured by the leader of the Faeries right before their next orgy and is readied to be given back to Neron once his name was discovered. Tricking one fairy with blind lies of pleasure, John manages to escape back to New York, knock out the Faerie he tricked, and went about rescuing Oliver. Once confronted by his children, however, Constantine finds himself pulling out of the relationship, his fears of entanglement leading to another ghost following him getting the better of his own feelings... little does he know, however, that his attempts to protect those children and Oliver has put them in even more danger.

This really was an excellent exploratory issue. The world of Faeries is explored in such rich and vivid detail that it brings a genuine sense of both beauty and horror to the page, and I must admit I was genuinely sad we didn't get an entire issue to explore it. But the content revolving around John and Oliver's relationship is so well written that it's hardly a knock against it. I apologize for that, I didn't mean to mislead anyone, but it did really seem like they were kidnapping him in previous issues. Must investigate further.

It does, however, seem I missed something huge, as I'd described in excess in previous reviews that Oliver had been taken to hell as well, but, in this issue, he's still topside and fine. I think I misunderstood something along the way, and I'll put that blame on me.

All in all, this issue is a terrific exploration of the character of John Constantine and the worlds his stories produce. This is an absolute buy, without a single regret.Rating: Buy it!

When I was in high school I smoked weed off and on. One time, I got it from a friend I didn't trust, and it ended up laced with all kinds of weird stuff. I spent an hour talking to a tree. This cover reminds me of that, and I'm a little wigged out, man.

Doctor Strange #6

Doctor Strange is the light to John Constantine's darkness, in more ways than one. Whereas Constantine would take something such as a Faerie and work to make it into something truly terrifying and yet intriguing, Strange's exploration of magic has always been a deep and intriguing battle with worlds that are so bent out of reality that they seem completely foreign. They're two different takes on a very traditional idea, who could not be more opposite of each other.

That, however, doesn't mean that one can't focus on light, while the other focuses on darkness. Tone is a general matter, and the longer a character bathed in light stays in light, the more likely it is that said character will have a moment of complete lack of hope and light, and it seems as if, for Strange, that moment has come.

As the Empirikul begin their second wave of attacks, the world begins to fall apart at the seams, every source of magic and good in the world falling and failing in one singular attack. Strange, at the haven of magic in New York that is his home, attempts to continually draw upon that magic to stop the leader of the Empirikul, but his normal magical means are exhausted and his body is failing from using every bit of magic he had left in an attack that ended the first wave and should have killed him. Pulling on pure despair around him, he manages to offset the attacks, but the Empirikul manage to rebound, forcing Strnage to call upon the Dragon Lines, the very core of magic in the Earth itself. Even this, however, is not enough, as Strange watches all magic, all hope, in the world, fail...

This was a terrific issue. Not a lot happens, honestly, and I wouldn't want that to be misinterpreted. It's the art and the imagery that really makes this issue worth a singular buy because it paints magic as the source of all hope in the entire world then absolutely crushes it beneath its heel. Beautifully written and with truly superb art, this is an issue that begs a singular pick-up.

Rating: Buy it.

The Mighty Thor #5

This is the issue I've been looking forward to the most since the series began. It seemed like, even before it was revealed that Jane Foster was Thor, this new Thor would do battle with Odin, and I was quite excited at the prospect of seeing it, because Odin's power has always been something the comics have only just barely glossed over, never allowing him to go outright insane with his god-killing power. This seemed like the perfect place to finally let him off his chain, and better yet, in an antagonistic role.

The battle begins the issue, with Jane explaining how Odin was the one who always kept her away from Thor. The battle is never shown on Asgard but instead opens the issue with Odin crashing into the moon, and the true battle beginning, raging across the galaxy. Meanwhile, Freyja leads those loyal to her in defense of the throne room while Thor stops Odin, and it's revealed that Loki had been working as her spy for the dark Council. As the battle takes place in the orbit of Saturn and turns in Thor's favor, Loki double-crosses (Double double cross? Triple cross? Double-cross-ception?) his mother and stabs her in the back, literally, ending the Civil War in one fell swoop and forcing Odin into his chambers to see to Freyja in Odinsleep. As the issue closes and the Elves are united under a dark leader, Asgard finds itself under the control of Odin's raging brother, and Thor is forced to take up the battle to assure the war goes no further... while, far away, another watches, helpless, with his grief.

This was a pretty solid comic with all things being considered, but I couldn't help but feel saddened that we really didn't get a proper, lengthy battle between Odin and Thor. It's so undercut by all that's going on elsewhere in the nine realms that it loses a lot of heat in the process of telling the story of that battle, and that's a shame because it was shaping up to be quite the fight indeed. Now, it ended in grief, and somehow I seriously doubt that they'll revisit this fight again which is a shame.

That being said, however, it's still a very solid issue. Loki's betrayal is the only moment that really causes an eye-roll, as it was so easy to see coming. In fact I'd say him not turning on her would have been a much bigger surprise. The reasoning for why it happened and the content that's there is still good and could absolutely entertain and take the series in a great direction, but it did miss a massive opportunity with that fight.

Rating: Wait for the Trade.

Spider-Man/Deadpool #3

The majority of stories you'll find with Spider-Man and Deadpool within each other's company revolve around the Spider-Man side of the equation more than it does the Deadpool side, and there's a reason for that. Spider-Man has a relatively 'PG' sort of feel to his stories, and that's a good thing; it brings in kids and allows them a safe environment in which to enjoy their products. Crossovers are usually meant for introduction stories and that only, so it's more fun and more intelligent to put someone like Deadpool with Spider-Man in a situation where he jokes about killing but never actually kills than it is to drop Spider-Man into a random border country for an assassination. This issue, however, does exactly that.

After attempting to assure Deadpool doesn't accidentally find out that he's Peter Parker by having a friend wear the Spider get-up, Parker insists that Deadpool and Spider-Man start working together more. Within minutes of that team-up happening, however, Spider-Man finds that his attempts to force the truth out of Deadpool are flabbergasted and unhelpful. Wade suggests that, for once, Spider-Man join him and his Mercs For Hire on a mission, which leads to the entirety of Wade's team attempting to play him up. As the two end up separated from the rest, they're confronted by Styx and Stone, two cult leading supers who attempt to take out the heroes. After Deadpool takes a stab for the team, the two retreat, only to find Wade's employers are workers in a drug cartel in Bolivia. There's a short spat of disagreement between them; however, it is solved as they take down the bad guys, and Spidey helps Deadpool, still healing, back home... only to discover Deadpool's daughter awaiting him...

This issue felt especially thick for a nineteen page book, I have to admit. There was a lot of content, and what was there was solid and strong. I will say, however, that I don't think the switch in situations worked as well as most of the Spidey/Deadpool crossovers have worked in the past. It seems very out of place to see Deadpool in a hail of bullets and fire but working on that side of the battle, and it was a bit out of character for him to be cool with it, especially with how much of a dick he was opening the issue. There's good stuff to be found here but, in the end, not enough for a singular pick-up.

Rating: Wait for the Trade.

The Uncanny Avengers #7

Ugh. I hate event comics.

Let's not waste any time.

The Avengers are assembled to make their move to Connecticut in the wake of a major event regarding the other, main group Avengers. There, they discover Maria Hill and Wrecker, from last issue, running from something deeper in-state. Describing what they'd been through inside of the walls of Pleasant Hill as 'wiping who they were', they're quickly confronted by government militia. Sensing the truth in their words through the oddly explained powers of Synapse, the Avengers act to protect those that they see as wronged, then are lead by Maria Hill to Pleasant Hills, only to discover they might be in over their head, and possibly on the wrong side...

I'll be frank with this review; I'm not reading this event comic, so I have no idea what the hell's going on. I've made it a point for a while now not to read main-verse Avengers issues, and even more of a point to avoid event comics as best I can, and this comic perfectly encapsulates why. It's an unsorted mess of a comic that doesn't make sense and is so quickly written and drawn that it hardly stands as a full comic. Perhaps the full series is better, but, as it stands, I feel no need to explore further into this, and, as a fan who wants the best for other fans, I'd suggest you stay away from it too because modern event comics are the worst possible introduction to comic books imaginable.

​God help the day I actually have to put you all through that hell.Rating: Skip it.

Radioactive Spider-Gwen #6

The last time Spider-Gwen slid across my reading desk, it became incredibly and increasingly clear that the series' biggest issue was the characters that surrounded Spider-Gwen, and I got into a bit of a grump over that. It's unfortunately more and more obvious with every single issue that the side cast are one note monolith examples of what the characters surrounding a superhero character should be, and, after an entire issue devoted to those characters, you could say my faith in the series wavered in the face of legitimate concern and the idea of how people have treated the series on the internet came to mind.

Luckily, this is a series with a strong protagonist that doesn't need to do much to get back on my good side.

The issue opens with a maskless and discovered Gwen Stacy watching as Captain America has Harry Osbourne pinned against a wall and is ready to bring him into custody. Before she can make that happen, however, Harry manages to come out of his lizard-infested mind long enough to trigger the glider to release pumpkin bombs, burying all three under rubble.

As the voice of Captain America's S.H.I.E.L.D handler encourages Gwen to force the cure on Harry, Gwen confronts him and forces him to realize the truth that Peter had been wrong and that she was trying to do right to make up for the friend she lost to this power. Harry accepts the cure and Gwen allows him to run because 'she's no soldier'. With Harry allowed to escape the scene without harm from the police and with her blessing, Gwen rushes home to find her father with a file on Spider-Gwen, quoting it as 'the job he'll never finish', and the two unite and come to terms with one another as he announces he's done with the police.

This was an incredibly well-handled rebound issue off of all the malarkey side-character exposition we ended up with last week. It really allowed me to look at Gwen as someone that could be looked up to and responsible, perhaps more-so than Peter was at that age. It never ceases to amaze me how well she's been built up from the ground and the dust, to the very moral center of her entire universe, and this is an exceptional example of how well that has worked.

Rating: Buy it!

IDW, defender of the little man, refusing to adhere to the whims of the Batman vs Superman ad DC gods!

​Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4

​There's something so odd about how well someone like the Batman works with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and I can't find the words to describe what that random factor is, exactly. It's almost an opposites attract sort of situation, where two very different tones of characters meet halfway and somehow find common ground in who they are, how they were shaped, and what their goals are. Perhaps it's because Batman is a malleable entity that's worked with the Justice League enough over the years that his personality has been somewhat calmed, or perhaps it's just simple coincidence, but whatever is at play and making this not feel awkward as hell should be commended.

The story opens with Arkham suddenly handling twenty all-new and different breed of criminal in the foot soldiers who, even under questioning, refuse to talk outside of their code. The Joker is inside during this, and highly amused, playing games with the police managing the intakes. Meanwhile, the Turtles and Batman make a tactical retreat, where the team starts to get to know Batman via sparring, his technology, and even the ceremonial turtle staple of sharing pizza. Raphael, however, finds disgust in how laid back the rest of the team is handling their imminent doom, and takes off, calling Batman nothing but a rich boy playing at hero. Meanwhile, Casey manages to break into the Gotham 'verse and goes on a tear through Ra's and Shredder's base. Batman manages to find Raph on the streets and takes him to Crime Alley, to explain his origins, while maniacal forces work in their stead and aim their sights on Casey, and Arkham Asylum...

This issue was totally filler but filler in the best way possible. It felt slightly forced at one spot in the comic where Batman ate pizza, but, beyond that, it really did feel like a collective group of character growth and natural avenues were taken to endear both sides to the other. Even as a filler issue, there's enough content here to make any comic fan happy, simply because they go out of their way to make the scenario seem both realistic in terms of the characters and natural in how it takes place.

This book is proof that filler issues can be done well. It's proof Batman doesn't always have to be dark and gritty to get his existence to work, and it's proof that the Turtles can dab into a bit of sorrow every once in a while as well. As a singular issue, it's nearly perfect in what it sets out to do.Rating: Buy it.

Classic Comic Review of the Week:

Y: The Last Man

There's a large, vibrant, often unexplored world that exists outside of DC and Marvel.

The mind instantly turns to The Walking Dead, of course. And that makes sense; Kirkman's comic book phenomenon is now a franchise phenomenon, after all.

Yet, for all its brilliance, and the brilliance of many other comic book series' that were created outside the DC and Marvel organisations, my favourite 'non-big two' comic book is about one young man, one Capuchin monkey, and a world full of women.

My favourite is Y: The Last Man.

The 'Y' in the aforementioned title stands for Yorick, our hero in this unconventional tale, and also stands for the Y chromosome, which is the chromosome that causes any member of a species to be male.

Until, at the beginning of our story, everything with a Y chromosome dies. Everything. Including embryos and sperm.

In other words, the male sex is erased from existence on earth.

Except for our hero, Yorick, and his pet Capuchin monkey, Ampersand.

Hell of a premise, right?

The first arc of the series is Unmanned, which consists of issues 1 - 5 and is a fantastically gripping and immersive succession of comic books.

Yorick's predicament is entirely unique, as he is suddenly the target of adoration, loathing, assassination, and lust. It's certainly a lot for him to deal with, and the fact he is an entirely relatable, flawed, and understandable character is a massive boon to the story.

While he simply wants to reunite with his girlfriend, who is in Australia and is actually stranded there due to a breakdown in society - half the species has just been wiped out, after all - there are others powers at work beyond his control, and the fact he survived means he must be protected and studied.

None other than the President of the United States assigns Yorick his own bodyguard in the form of Agent 355, who is a member of a clandestine government agency. Her task is to guide him to geneticist Dr Allison Mann, in the hope that he can be studied and a way to save the male species can be discovered.

On the way they endure threats of death and other obstacles that are less obvious but no less interesting.

The series is a fantastic perspective on the role and position of both males and females and is simply excellent science fiction.

Like any great story, the beginning has to grab your attention quickly, and these first issues do just that.

For something slightly different but immensely enjoyable in the comic book genre, I recommend Y: The Last Man to everyone, every time.

I mean, come on: you just need to know why all the males died, right?﻿